Feeder tub



Sept. 20, 1932; J. MARTIN FEDER TUB Filed Nov. 12, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l l0. A 11 2 l 8 ff, 5 7 fz` 'k u 4 n 1") D .v D 23 n s Cl Q U l o ausn a 12 g g T22 u CIU n u 0 u D l! z 6 /f le 5 1 FLDOR LINE.;

James l? @alti '11 J. P. MARTIN FEEDER TUB Filed Nov. 12, 1930 Z'Sheets-Sheet Patented Sept. 20, 19?2` i kanim) STATES reien? JAMES T. `MARTIN, oE EANoAsTER, PENNSYLVANIA, AssreNoE To EANcAsTEE'TEON woEKs, 1Nc.,`or' LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA, A coEroEATIoN or PENNSYL- 'VANILA VVFEEDER TUB Application ined November 12, 1930. serial No. 495,231.

The linvention forming the subject matter of this application relates generally to mechanism for rapidly feeding material, having a tendency to bridge or hang up, from a bm o r hopper. The machine is not limited in use to any. particularV material; 1t may, for example, be Vused to feed any solidgranular or.

plastic material, such as s'and, wheat, concrete mix orV clay from the bottom of a hopper or bin filled with 4such material.

In the present application the invention is illustrated as combined with the clay feed Vmechanism .of an automatic brickmachine such yas is'disclosed in my U. S. 'Patent 1,779,136, October 2 1, 1930,

' The machine disclosed insaid patent is of the vertical feed type; andthepresent invention `may be added thereto as an additional meansfor feeding clay horizontally intothe vertical Vfeed chamber in thepath of the vertically.' fed column of clay or mud, in Vorder to ensure apositive feed of clay to the pressl box of the brickmachine, `and a more thorou'gh mixture of the clay fed thereto.

Sofar as its application to a brickmachine. isv concerned, the main object of the invention is to provide clay feeding mechanis'mwwhich will eliminate airrpockets in the finished bricks and render such bricks vmore homogeneous and monolithicfthan is possible with the older typev brick machines.

Another object of the invention is to pro-- vide an auxiliary `feeder tub" with a brick machine of thisncharacter in which the lamiterial having a tendencyl to bridge or hang over the mechanical feeder mechanism'in th lower part of such container.

Other objects of the invention will become mixed clay to travel toward the apparent asithe vdetails offdescription thereof proceeds.

In the'drawing's:

Figure 1 lis a Vcentral vertical .sectionV through the clay feeding mechanisms,includ comprises suitable frame work designated.

ing the present invention, of the improved generally bythe reference numeral 1. In l this framework there is arranged .a jvertic'al plug mill 2 and a feeder tub 3, the latter feeding into the vertical plug mill between the top and bottom'ends thereof.` The vertical pug mill consistsV of a chamber 4 having a step` bearing 5 formed inthe bottom wall 6 thereof; and having a'bearing7 supported by the framework at the top of said chamber. A vertical shaft 8 is journalled'in the said bearlarge bevel gear' 9 meshed with a smaller bevel gear 10, see Figure 3, which is fixed to a horizontal drive shaft 11 rotated by means to be described'hereafter.V

force clay .downwardly toward the "exit 18 leadingt'o the pressfbox 19 and directly in the nation ordinarily resulting from thel use of a-horizontal machine or from a pug millused path of the pressfplaten 2O.v As shown clearly in Figure r1, the topknife 16 and bottom knife 12 have blades extending diametrically opposite each other on the vertical shaft 8,

mg and is provided at its upper end with ar whilethe intermediate knives employ only a to the vertical shaft 8.

` single blade extending radially with respectr be understood, however, that the 'The` .Object of.. the double jkna'biade ar! rangement at theupper end ofthe vertical pug mill is of course to force the clay or mud as much in a body as possible intothe mill as soon as itis fed thereto. The object'of the similar arrangemnt at vthe bottom of the vertical pug millv is to performlthe same object` on'the thoroughly mixed and tempered mud' lor clay immediately in front of the exitf18 to comprises a` horizontal sha-vft`123jurnalled'in suitable?fbearings'4 and 251 Yformedf ifr`1ltlfef framework of the machine, suitable packing glands 26 and 27 being mounted on the'-'sa%i'd44` shaft to prevent leakagethrough the side Walls 28 and 29 of the tirb. v lhttvo-blade-V Wiper 30, isfixedlypsecured tothe shaft23.. and

'f centrally between the Walls 28 and' 29.;and'.

single blade Wipers 3l and 32arefsimilarlysecuredto theshaft 23..,and-,onopposite.Sidesgof Thelbladesofthe Wipers are-.curved so:that they force the clay or mud.'downwardlyto.-v Wardandlthrongh 4the entrance 2l ofltheverwiper, are, arranged Vdiametrically.'opposite Y each 'other von the shaft`23, fand.,tlie.blades.l;v andi?, are arranged diametiically" opposite each; other; onfthle shafton,oppositesides.,

C passage ofjthef two.; blades and'at.anangleY of..90. degrees., displacement, on said E shaft;` relative. to ther bladesofthewiperfSO.. y K I c n 'The Wiperblade arrangement on1- the. honi'.

- Zentallshaft providesffn aturbulence of: theclay ormud ,placedfinthe.horizontalpngE fmill'an d''thereby4v assures.. ai thorough mixture r ofi the 'clay befre-the horizontal'. column lis. forcedgthrouglr, the entrance? 21. against. the zV vertically. descending, column; offthe vertical... pnmmillffj Y wiu befobyieumha by. forcing. a tori-,-

vertically moving, column .ofV clazy,l vthe. tivo] columns interact to breakup,,lamination,and

air;pnckets.inthe: nished bricll... Of? course a i great. deal.,l ofIa-ir is, ordinarily eliminated from ,the ,iini'sll'ed 'bri'ck by the valve. .in i the zpressiplaten.; but ftheuseioffthe combinedverr-A tical,y and'horiZontallfeeds just. described..n0.te onl-y eliminates air,` d-nringfthe. mixture. ofthe7 clay, but.V also mixes.' it. sothoronghly that.

- lamination is`,practic'ally,-. prevented.'n

It ,wlllbef evident ffromthe'. draining that? thel l.double blade Wiper` at the center.. oflthe feedentub J3. forms. ameans operable at. {eli/ery.Vv of,V wiperrG` to..

force material'through the. outlet.2l.\` Since.;`

' there isonly one Wiper blade on,.each.side

. the;,single` bladefwipersg. and,t in ,this piling,

vof'fthje central'tvvso bladey Wiper, it isobvious l. that the material on each side. of .thef central, tlwdbladefwiper lWilltendlto pileup, against.,

upWill roll`/over towardlandinto the lcentral.vr piathaofQthe two. blade Wiper. kThis roll-over.Y

' agctioniSets'upA a laterales. vielhasdofwnward..

'Increment ,inet-he. .materiali abbwefthw'e typeo'f high container,

feed of material V:from that container by elim-` mechanism, and prevents the formation of a bridge in such material which would result ordinarily from the use of Wipers having an even distribution of Wipers throughout thev length of the Wiper'shaft 23.

Whileethe feedertu-h Sideshow-nf in the x present .drawi gsras extending sliglitly; above the Wiper mechanism, it must be understood that this is for convenience of illustration peculiarly adapted toibehus'ed, l at the bottom of a grain elevator orranylother to ensure a positive Avertical-type clayfeedfandthenew feedertub.,

nmachines; ofcthstype ,f andi thetnb, consti:v s tutes-j alrfelement. of this l combination which... is capable. off independent. use-,1.j and.' Will, thereforeebe,claimedaccordingly...

' rEheV driveV shafty for'l the .entire brick. man. chine. isnotshown herein.A It Will'` be: under-f.Y stoodh-oweverr, that suitabledriving conneef. tions are arranged fbetvaeen, theA mai-rr driver shaft andthe shafts `v8.. ari-'(1.23 ofzthevertical pug. mill.,2.y andithef feeder. tub, respectvelyg: teensurezrotation kofboth shafts `in synellro n1sm,.v f

lllherever4 the. term rclay?." is. used infthe. specificati onor claims, itis to. be. understood-1' thatithis--isfor. convenience.- Qnly. .andf=tha.t it-a mayrefer:` to. any. plasticvl or granular ^mass Whatever beits composition, providing; suchmassiscapableof being-,operatedzupon n bye machines., of. this; character. The. terms ribbonzphwherever usedin the claims, refers; to .the-,finished massofclayas extruded from;-

onlysf. The Wiper' Y feed-l mechanism mayy bel IGC framework includa anopeningI 1nt theing-5 and .means;. fon forcing. amasst of.:r clayfinto andatransverselyoffsaid-.columm 2. AIn a brick machine, framework includ iI-igy` apressbox; havingl` an'4 openingjnl the pathy of,` a press platen, a vertical Y pug; mill-A formedin. saidI f-rameworkgand havinggsaitil1 openingz'at gthefbottom i thereof, and Y av feeder-g tub formed in saidframevvorkand hav-ing ana opening [atx the bottom, the1:eof.communicat.-

ingkwith saidavertical. pugmill between' .theiend'soffthel'atter.. I .l

3. In a brick I'Iiachine,framevvork.includ-iingentes-Ibex.haringgaeepeninanfthe-:nath

tically in said chamber and having knife blades extending radially therefrom, and a feeder tub adjacent said vertical chamber for forcing a mass of clay horizontally toward said vertical shaft and between the ends there- 4:. In a brick machine, framework including a press box having an opening in the path of a press platen, a vertical chamber formed on said framework and having said opening at the bottom thereof, a shaft j ournalled vertically in said chamber and having knife blades extending radially therefrom, a chamber extending horizontally from said vertical chamber and having an opening communicating with said vertical chamber between the ends of said shaft, a shaft journalled horizontally in the second named chamber, and wiper blades extending radially from said horizontal shaft.

5. In a brick machine, framework includ'- ing a press box having an opening in the path of a press platen, a vertical chamber supported or formed on said framework and having said opening at the bottom thereof, a shaft journalled vertically in said chamber and having a series of knife blades spaced apart thereon and adapted to force ra column of clay toward said opening, the knife blades at the opposite ends of said shaft extending radially from said shaft and alined in diametrically opposite directions, and the shaft between said ends having single blades extending radially from said shaft, and equiangularly spaced around said shaft.

6. In a brick machine, framework including a press box having an opening in the path of a press platen, a vertical chamber formed on said frameworkand having said opening at the bottom thereof, a shaft journalled vertically in said chamber and having a series of knife blades spaced apart thereon and adapted to force'a column of clay toward said opening, theknife blades at the opposite ends of said shaft extending radially from said shaft and alined in diametrically opposite directions and the shaft between said ends having single blades extending radially from said shaft, the said single blades being equi-angularly spaced around said shaft, and means for forcing a mass of clay toward said vertical shaft between the knife blades at the opposite ends thereof.

7. In a brick machine, a framework including a press box having an opening in the path of a press platen, a vertical chamber supported or formed on said framework and having said opening at the bottom thereof, a shaft journalled vertically in said chamber and having a series of knife blades spaced apart thereon and adapted to force a column of clay toward said opening, the shaft at the opposite ends thereof having the knife blades extending radially from said shaft and alined in diametrically opposite directions and the shaft between said ends having single knife blades extending radially therefrom, the said single blades being equi-angularly spaced around said shaft, a horizontal chamber formed on said framework and having an opening communicating with said Vertical chamber between the knife blades on opposite ends of said shaft, a shaft journalled horizontally in said horizontal chamber, and wipers extending radially from the last named shaft.

8. A feeder tub including a chamber having an opening near the bottom thereof, a shaft journalled horizontally in said Achamber, a wiper blade at each end of said shaft in said chamber, the blade at one end extending radially and diametrically opposite to the blade at the other end, and a pair of eoV wiper blades fixed on said shaft between the first named wiper blades and radiating in alinement and in diametrically opposite directions.

In testimony whereof I aix mysignature.

JAMES P. MARTIN.. 

